At Sherwood Autism Center, we believe hands-on, real-world learning is one of the most powerful ways to build independence. This year, we’re thrilled to share a new partnership that brings that belief to life in the kitchen.

Our transitional classroom was selected as a pilot site for the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Culinary Medicine Education Initiative, an innovative program that helps participants explore the connection between nutrition, cooking, and lifelong health. The students in our adult program are now part of a learning experience that combines evidence-based nutrition content with practical cooking skills, tailored to support confidence and independence.

Through this collaboration, our students are participating in live cooking groups at the KU Medical Center teaching kitchen, guided by professional chefs, physicians, and dietitians. The program integrates virtual lessons from the Health Meets Food® curriculum with in-person culinary skill building, giving students the chance to learn, practice, and taste their work.

What Students Will Be Learning Over the Next 12 Weeks

Over the course of 12 weeks, students move through a structured progression of cooking skills that gradually increases in complexity and independence.

They begin with Stage 0 and Stage 1 skills like mixing, measuring, and safe knife use while making simple recipes such as energy balls and custom salads, learning about healthy habits, food groups, and vegetable-focused meals. As they grow more comfortable, they’re introduced to small appliances—using tools like toasters and blenders to prepare avocado or peanut butter toast and smoothies, and learning about balanced snacks and the role of fruits, grains, protein, and dairy.

Rubric- Cooking Skills

In the middle weeks, students move into large-appliance cooking, starting with stove-top skills while preparing scrambled eggs and pasta salad. These lessons weave in topics like the importance of breakfast, safe handling of eggs and other perishables, portion control, and how to store leftovers properly. As they gain confidence, students combine small and large appliance skills to prepare recipes such as black bean brownies and broccoli mac and cheese, while also learning about mindful eating, healthy substitutions, and reading food labels.

Rubric- Cooking Skills

In the later weeks, students take on more advanced meal production, including fish tacos and sheet pan chicken with rice, practicing oven safety, raw meat handling, and how healthy eating can help prevent chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. They also work on meal planning and grocery list creation, connecting what they cook to real-life routines at home. The series wraps up with baking blueberry muffins and a student-choice final meal, where learners follow recipes more independently and pull together multiple skills—planning, prepping, cooking, and cleaning up—to complete a full dish or meal.

Rubric- Cooking Skills

Across these 12 weeks, students are not just learning to cook; they are practicing safety, sequencing, time management, and decision-making—all core life skills that support greater independence.

A Curriculum Rooted in Confidence, Health, and Inclusion

The Culinary Medicine Initiative is designed to empower people with the knowledge and skills to make better dietary choices and reduce the risk of chronic disease. For our students, it’s also about building confidence in the kitchen, practicing communication and social skills, and experiencing pride in what they create.

Sherwood participants are already putting these skills into practice. Some students planned a morning snack menu and calendar, then worked with teachers to shop for the ingredients they needed. Others enjoyed frosting cookies and creating holiday treats to share. These experiences connect directly to the cooking and nutrition concepts they’re learning through the KU partnership.

Empowering Through Experience

Whether it’s learning to safely handle food, practicing budgeting at Starbucks, or setting 2026 personal goals on vision boards, Sherwood’s programs are designed to meet individuals where they are and give them tools to thrive. The new cooking initiative is a natural extension of that mission—bridging the gap between everyday skills and long-term wellness.

We are proud to be a pilot partner in this effort and grateful to KU Medical Center for their inclusive, forward-thinking approach. Together, we’re building a brighter, healthier future—one recipe at a time.

👉 Learn more about the Culinary Medicine Initiative here:
https://launchku.org/campaigns/kumc-culinary-medicine-initiative-spring-2025